A Konoha Spring Catastrophe?
by TentenNTemari
Summary: The Sand Siblings have been invited to the Konoha Spring Festival, a special annual event. But there's a problem. Gaara doesn't know how to dance! Can Temari and Kankuro teach him in time? And will Kankuro accidentally end up humiliating his siblings?
1. The Invitation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Author's Note: This story takes place after my other fanfic, _Change of Heart_. I know there are lots of stories about dances in Konoha, but hopefully this one will be original and somewhat funny (that's my goal, anyway). I plan on putting in several pairings, including possibly LeexTenten, GaaraxSakura, NarutoxHinata, and maybe, just maybe, a little TemarixShikamaru. Well, here goes.**

Without hesitation, Kankuro dug into his food with both hands, shoveling it into his mouth as if it would get away from him if he didn't devour it immediately.

His older sister, Temari, stared at him in horror. Thoroughly disgusted, she turned instead to watch her other brother, Gaara, who was methodically chopping his vegetables into tiny pieces with his fork. Dinner at the Sand Siblings' house was always an interesting experience.

A sharp _rat-tat-tat_ sounded at the door, and all three teenagers froze. The knock came again, louder this time.

"I'll get it." Temari silently slid out of her chair and went to answer the door. She returned a few moments later, a tightly furled scroll in her hand.

"What is it?" Kankuro's eyes landed on the scroll, and his face brightened. "Is it a mission? Or a special assignment?"

"Hang on, I haven't read it yet." Temari opened the spool of parchment and quickly scanned its contents. Her face lit up with excitement.

"Well?" Kankuro was getting impatient.

"It's not a mission," Temari told them, "but even better. The three of us have been invited to a special annual dance, the Konoha Spring Festival!" Temari grinned at the shock that registered on her brothers' faces.

Kankuro frowned. "Are we going to go?"

"No," Gaara said suddenly.

"Don't be silly, Gaara. Of course we're going to go! It would be rude not to, since we've been invited, and besides," she laughed, "It'll be fun."

The quiet redhead stared at his plate. "Yeah. Fun."

"Are there going to be dates?" Kankuro asked worriedly. "Do we have to, you know, ask girls to go with us and stuff? … Not that I couldn't if I needed to," he added quickly, noting Temari's amused expression.

"Don't worry, Kankuro, the three of us can go together, as a family. That way there won't be any pressure to ask anyone, and then we can dance with whoever we want once we get there."

Kankuro tried not to look too relieved. Gaara bit his lip, and then said in a low voice, "Um, I'm not very hungry. May I be excused, please?"

Temari stopped smiling, a concerned expression crossing her face. "Of course, Gaara. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." He stood and cleared his place from the table. "I think I'm going to turn in early tonight. I'll see you two tomorrow."

"Alright, if your sure… goodnight Gaara."

"'Night"

"Goodnight."

**Author's Note: I know the first chapter was really short. But the next one is much longer! **


	2. Learning the Steps

Temari was awakened the next morning to the sound of Kankuro singing in the shower. She grimaced as she rolled out of bed. Not the most pleasant noise to start the day with, but at least he seemed to be in a good mood. _Oh yeah!_ Temari remembered as she pulled her thick blond hair up into its usual four ponytails. _The Festival! We have to start getting ready today._ It was going to be fun to prepare for the dance.

Unfortunately, Temari had to pass by the bathroom on her way to the kitchen table for breakfast.

"_Don't go breakin' my heart!_"

She was starting to get a headache.

In a squeaky falsetto, Kankuro answered himself, "_I couldn't if I tried!_"

Temari groaned and hurried past to the dining area. In a few minutes she had a fresh pot of oatmeal simmering on the stove. As she began pouring out the thick mush into three individual bowls, the pigtailed kunoichi glanced out the window. It was going to be a gorgeous day.

"What's that smell?" Kankuro emerged from the bathroom, his freshly painted face wrinkled in disgust.

"Well, if it isn't the Phantom of the Opera himself," Temari remarked dryly. "That 'smell' you're noticing is what you are going to eat for breakfast. It's oatmeal, and it's good for you, so don't complain."

The puppet master plopped down in one of the wooden chairs at the table. "But, Temari, we've had porridge every single morning for the past week!"

The oldest sand sibling's eyes flashed dangerously. She handed her brother a spoon. "You'll eat it. You'll eat it and _like_ it!"

"You guys are so loud I couldn't even _pretend_ to sleep." Temari and Kankuro looked up as Gaara appeared at the bottom of the stairs. His chaotic red hair stuck out in every direction and his pale blue eyes glared from within their permanent dark circles.

"Sorry, Gaara. Perhaps our dear brother should refrain from giving live concerts in the shower."

"Or maybe Gaara should sleep in the attic," Kankuro grouched.

"Alright, you guys, let's get down to business," Temari said, handing Gaara a bowl of oatmeal as he sat down next to Kankuro. "The Konoha Spring Festival is only two days away; we have to start getting ready immediately!"

"What are you talking about?" Kankuro protested through a mouthful of porridge, "how long do we possibly need to get ready? It's a dance, for crying out loud. All you have to do is get dressed in something nice – it takes two minutes, not two days!"

"Do you realize how long it's been since we've gone to a dance, Kankuro? Preparing for a festival is not just something you throw together at the last minute. It's an _art_ form. The three of us are going to show our friends from the Leaf Village that people from the Sand Village know how to attend a festival with style."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Style?" Gaara blinked. He stared down at his oatmeal, stirring it absently with his spoon. "Uh, I don't think I'm going to go after all," Gaara said slowly.

"Huh?"

"What?"

"You two go without me. I'm not needed; I'll just stay here."

"What do you mean Gaara?" Temari looked at her brother worriedly. "Of course we want you to come. Is something wrong?"

"N-not exactly. It's just that…" Gaara's face matched his hair.

"It's okay, buddy, you can tell us," Kankuro reassured him.

The youngest Sand ninja exhaled in frustration. "It's just that I…can't…dance."

Kankuro blinked, as if this news was the last thing he was expecting to hear. Temari raised her eyebrows.

"_What?_ Are you serious? You've never danced before?"

Gaara scowled and shook his head. Why was this so hard to believe? It wasn't like you had to know how to dance to become a ninja or something.

"Well, I guess that would make sense," Temari reasoned. "You've never really had an opportunity to learn how."

"But don't feel bad, bro," Kankuro slapped him on the back, but then quickly removed his hand in case Gaara's sand perceived the gesture as a threat.

"Yeah," Temari agreed. "We can fix your problem."

"You can?" Gaara was curious.

"We can?" Kankuro echoed, "how?"

"That's easy, we'll teach you how to dance!"

Gaara's eyes widened. Kankuro choked on his oatmeal.

"Don't act so surprised!" Temari scolded. "We have two days until the dance. Plenty of time for a few lessons, don't you think?" She grinned. "You probably don't know this Gaara, but Kankuro and I used to dance together all the time. We were pretty good, too – we even won a few dance contests in Suna".

"Those were the days," Kankuro agreed.

"Really?" Gaara stared at his siblings doubtfully.

"Really. And who knows? You might even be a natural at it! If Kankuro and I can do it, you can, too."

"Well, alright, I guess…if you say so."

"I say so!" Temari jumped up, a mischievous sparkle in her eye, and grabbed Gaara by the arm. Kankuro followed dubiously as she led him into the living room.

"First things first," Temari said, lifting a beat-up stereo onto the coffee table. "We have to teach you some basic steps and etiquette. Then we'll focus on a couple of different varieties of dances."

"Man, let's skip the intro," Kankuro grinned. He walked over to the stereo, snapped it on, and cranked up the volume.

Rhythmic booming blasted from the speakers. Gaara jumped about two feet. Temari covered her ears.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about," Kankuro nodded, gesturing towards the source of the blaring music.

Gaara suddenly noticed something disturbing. It was his foot – it was… tapping! And he couldn't figure out why; it was like it had a mind of its own.

"Kankuro! What's wrong with my foot? It's having spasmodic convulsions!"

"You hurt your what?" Kankuro looked at his brother strangely.

Exasperated, Gaara pointed violently at his foot.

"Oh, that," Kankuro chuckled. "That's called the beat, Gaara. The beat is the foundation of dancing, the soul of the music. You just gotta let it flow through you, see? If you can feel the pulse of the rhythm in your bones, then you can let your instincts kick in, and your body will do the rest."

He demonstrated a few dance moves, keeping in time with the resonant beat.

"Pretty cool, huh?"

Temari shook her head and switched off the stereo.

"Hey! What'd you do that for? It was just getting fun!"

"It's not that easy, Kankuro," Temari explained. "You can't just '_feel the beat'_ and _POW_ – you're an amazing dancer. We have to start at the beginning." She switched the CDs in the disc slot and then turned it back on. "Let's begin with something a bit slower."

A melodic, instrumental piece that sounded suspiciously like Pachabel's Canon floated from the speakers. Temari smiled and winked at her brothers.

"What? You're insane!" Kankuro protested. "This is wedding music!"

"It's _slow_. Perfect for beginners."

Kankuro crossed his arms over his chest. "Nobody ever won any dance contests with wedding music." He sighed and sat heavily onto the living room couch.

"Oh, don't listen to him." Temari turned to Gaara, who was looking very confused. "He's just grumpy because he can't slow dance."

Kankuro leaned back and examined his fingers. "It's not my _forte_. Give me a break – I'm the champ at every other kind of dance."

Temari ignored him. "Now listen to me, Gaara. Slow dancing is one of the most important styles of dance. It provides an outlet for expression and enables the dancers to show sincerity in their movements."

Gaara stared at his sister as if she was speaking a foreign language.

"But it's the fast, fun dances that impresses the girls," Kankuro added.

Gaara rolled his eyes. Temari placed a hand on her hip.

"However, slow dances show your more sensitive, gentle side."

"I don't think Gaara _has_ a sensitive, gentle side!"

"Kankuro!" Temari gasped, clapping her hands over Gaara's ears. "Don't say that! Everyone has a gentle side. Gaara just hasn't found his yet."

The flustered redhead squirmed away from his sister and shook his arms to keep her hands off his head. "I don't care if it impresses anyone. But if you're going to teach me to dance, please do it already, because I have other things to do."

"Alright." Temari faced her youngest brother once again. "Pretty much all slow dances begin with a basic stance." She took Gaara's left hand and placed it on her waist. "Put your hand here, like this… Good. And then the girl puts her hand here," she rested her right hand on Gaara's shoulder. "Then you hold my hand with your other hand, like this," Temari interlocked the fingers of her left hand with Gaara's right.

"I don't think I like this." Gaara couldn't help noticing that Temari was at least a full head taller than he was. This could be a problem.

"Okay, Gaara. You're the guy, so you have to lead."

"What? But I don't even know how to dance yet – how am I supposed to lead?"

"Don't worry, it's easy once you get the hang of it. Watch what I do." Temari began to move her feet, stepping back and forth, sometimes on her toes. "One, two, three, one, two, three…"

Gaara attempted to mimic her movements, struggling to keep up.

"One, two, three, one, two, three – OUCH! Gaara! That was my foot."

"Sorry."

"It's fine; let's try it again. Ready?"

Gaara nodded, feeling anything but ready. Then for a brief moment, he felt as though he was actually getting it. His feet were moving in time with Temari's; they were really dancing! Encouraged by this mark of progress, Gaara ventured to look up from their feet to glance at his sister's face. Big mistake. As soon as he lifted his eyes from the ground, Gaara no longer had control over where he was going. His feet took off again with a mind of their own.

"OW! Ow! Gaara! You're stepping all over me!" Temari hopped away from him, freeing herself from the painful situation.

Kankuro stuffed his fist in his mouth to keep from exploding with laughter.

Gaara stared down at his sandals. "I'm sorry, Temari. Maybe we should stop."

Temari smiled and walked back over to him. "Hey, it's okay." She put her finger under his chin and tilted his face up. "Look at me. It's okay to mess up. Everyone does. In fact, you're doing tons better than _some_ people I know…" Temari glanced over her shoulder towards the couch. "You should have seen Kankuro learn how to slow dance. I had bruises for a week!"

"Okay," she shook out her arms. "Let's start over. This time, pretend I'm the guy."

"Pardon me?"

"You know what I mean! I'll lead. I'll show you how to do it."

The two siblings reversed positions, and Temari proceeded to lead Gaara successfully without any more injured toes.

"You're doing great, Gaara," Temari said. "Now stop looking at the floor; concentrate on my face instead."

A little fearfully, Gaara obeyed. But to his surprise, there were no catastrophes, no broken feet, and no cries of agony from Temari. Slowly, he felt his confidence returning.

"Wonderful! Now, smile. Try to look like you're actually enjoying yourself."

Gaara tried it.

Temari yelped. "No! Not like that! You look like you're in pain. Show a little less teeth. Relax, and don't make me think you're going to eat me."

Kankuro snickered. Gaara tried again.

"There we go, that's better!"

Pretty soon, Temari decided that Gaara was ready to attempt leading again. From what he could tell, it seemed to go fairly smoothly. Kankuro appeared to think so, too.

"Hey," he said when they had stopped. "How did you do that?" He narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you've never danced before?"

"No," said Gaara flatly.

"Not even in your sleep?"

Gaara shot him a look that said: _Did you seriously just ask me that question?_

"Well, Gaara, it seems like you have the hang of this now," Temari nodded in approval.

Kankuro leapt off the couch. "Yahoo! Now we can move on to more important kinds of dancing!"

"Wait a minute, Kankuro. Let's take a break for lunch first. We've been at this all morning. We can have lesson number two when we're done eating."

"Sounds good to me." Kankuro patted his stomach. "And then I'll take it from there." The older boy slung an arm around Gaara's shoulders and winked. "The Puppet Master will show you how it's done. After I teach you some of _my_ signature moves, everybody will think you've been dancing your whole life!"

Temari sighed. "This is going to be a long day."


	3. Of Tuxedoes, Toads, and Hairbrushes

**Author's Note: I know it's been a _really_ long time since I've updated, and I'm sorry about that! I have been really busy and even out of the country for a while, but now I figured I better post the next chapter or so! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciated it. Oh, and by the way, I actually did know that Gaara's an insomniac. I guess that the way I wrote certain parts were confusing. When Gaara says that his siblings were so noisy he couldn't even pretend to sleep, it was meant to be sarcastic. Likewise, when Kankuro asks Gaara that dumb question about dancing in his sleep, it was supposed to be a joke. And when Gaara goes up to his room early after dinner, it doesn't mean he's going to sleep. He's just going to be alone for a while. Sorry everybody if that was confusing or misunderstood. I'll try not to do it again!**

The last 48 hours before the Konoha Spring Festival were sheer madness for the Sand Siblings, or at least, so it seemed to Kankuro and Gaara. In addition to the impromptu dance lessons, Temari was fervently rushing about and making sure all three of them stayed very busy. A sister's work was never done, and Temari had to make sure her brothers looked at least marginally presentable for this once-a-year event.

Much to Kankuro's chagrin, Temari insisted on taking him and Gaara on a little shopping excursion to get some 'nice clothes' for the dance.

"Oh, Kankuro!" Temari exclaimed, examining a fancy pearl-colored tuxedo at one store, "This is perfect for you! You would look absolutely dashing in it!" She flashed him an evil grin. "And it would look even better if I got you a little rose or something to pin beside the collar."

"No! No way, Temari! No roses, or flowers of any shape or form." He eyed the tux disdainfully. "And this suit is most definitely _not_ my style. It's _white_!"

Likewise, Gaara absolutely refused to wear the bow tie Temari found at another shop.

So, Temari practically hauled her brothers into a nearby department store to check for any possibly successful finds. As the trio made their way to the clothing section of the store, they had to pass by a rather large assortment of toys positioned colorfully on shelves. _A sneaky advertising trick_, Temari thought, _placing it right where you have to walk by to get anywhere else_.

Becoming increasingly bored and exhausted after their long day of shopping, Kankuro was starting to lag behind. As he shuffled past the toy aisle, he glanced up just in time to notice a very long line of stuffed "Tickle-Me-Toads" of varying colors. He was suddenly seized by an irresistible urge to go and press the little button on each of their chubby stomachs. Kankuro knew that he was way too old for such stupid and childish things, but still… he had always wanted his very own Tickle-Me-Toad when he was younger, but had never got one. It couldn't hurt just to go try a few real quick, before Temari and Gaara noticed he was missing.

With catlike stealth, Kankuro slunk discreetly behind the shelves of the aisle and over to where the Tickle-Me-Toads sat, staring pleadingly up at him, practically begging for him to "Try Me." The teenaged puppet master glanced quickly on either side of himself, just to make sure no one was watching. Okay, it looked like the coast was clear… it was now or never! A malicious grin spread slowly across Kankuro's face. With lightning speed, his hand reached out and jabbed the button on the first Toad's tummy. Then, before he could change his mind and turn back, Kankuro sprinted down the aisle, punching the stomach of each and every Toad as he ran past. He cackled at the ludicrousness of his actions, and suddenly an explosion of giggles and screeches from the stuffed animals joined his laughter. The whole aisle – no, the entire store! – was filled with horrendous shrieks, cries, guffaw, and chuckles. Kankuro stared at the shaking line of eerily lifelike toy toads in mixed horror and delight. Like some cheesy criminal mastermind off of an old horror flick, Kankuro raised his arms, threw his head back, and let out his most diabolical villain laugh. "_Muhahahaha!!!!_"

"What in the world?!" A familiar female voice cried over the deafening noise. Suddenly, Kankuro heard two pairs of footsteps pounding towards the Toad aisle. The aisle he was still in! _Uh oh. I can't let them see me in here!_ Kankuro thought in panic. As fast as he could, Kankuro slipped around the nearest corner and into the neighboring aisle. Unfortunately, it just happened to be the Barbie aisle. Kankuro made an effort to slow down his breathing as he walked nonchalantly toward the end of the aisle. In what he hoped was a casual voice, he greeted his two siblings as they ran towards him from a few aisles down.

"Hey, guys, how's it goin'?"

Temari and Gaara skidded to a stop.

"Kankuro," Temari's voice was stern, "where were you? I got scared for a second there; we thought we'd lost you."

"Sorry." Kankuro shoved his hands into his pockets. "But you know how it is… when you gotta go, you gotta go."

Gaara regarded his older brother in suspicion. "You're in the Barbie aisle," he remarked flatly.

Kankuro chuckled nervously.

"And what was that awful sound?" Temari continued, "It sounded like a chorus of dying cats or something!"

"Oh, that," Kankuro shrugged. "I think it came from those Tickle-Me-Toads in that aisle over there. Nothing to worry about; some little kids probably set them off or something. You know how little kids can be…"

"Yeah, well, we were all little kids once." Temari placed her hands on her hips. "Right. Then if you're done here, we should probably be getting over to the clothing section. Hopefully this will be our last stop for the day." She gave Kankuro a meaningful look, "I don't think any of us can take much more."

Kankuro nodded fiercely. "Of course, of course. Then by all means, let's go."

Temari turned and began walking back toward the other end of the store. Gaara lingered for a moment longer, his cool gaze still fixed steadily on Kankuro. The older boy felt his hands grow clammy with sweat, and he grinned uneasily. After a few silent seconds had ticked by, a slow smile tugged at the corners of Gaara's mouth. He nodded at Kankuro.

"Don't worry," Gaara said in a low voice, "I won't tell anyone."

With that, he also turned and began walking quickly to catch up with their sister. Kankuro felt his face growing hotter than a paper bomb on a summer day in Suna. Before leaving, he leaned over to the now silent toad next to him and whispered, "Don't ever let me do that again."

Finally, after much arguing and persuading over what to buy for the Festival, the trio returned home with the outfits they had decided on buying. Exhausted but satisfied at the eventual success of their trip, Temari laid the purchases out on her bed. Normally she didn't care so much about what they wore, but now, with the Spring Festival just a day away, she had to make sure they didn't embarrass themselves in front of their friends from Konoha.

Kankuro had been extremely picky in what he was willing to wear, and Gaara adamantly turned down anything he thought made him look ridiculous. But at last they had each found something that was acceptable. Kankuro finally settled on a black suit, which, Temari had to admit, made him look pretty classy. As for Gaara, Temari had eventually found a nice, long-sleeved brown shirt and pants that he didn't totally object to. For herself she had bought a sleeveless white dress with a midnight blue sash, along with her characteristic fishnets for her legs, arms, and shoulders. Temari nodded. Not bad for a day's work.

The afternoon preceding the Festival arrived sooner than any of them could believe.

It was not long until the three Sand Siblings would have to leave for the dance, and, as usual, Kankuro was being difficult.

"But Kankuro, you _can't_ wear your make-up and cat-ears to the Festival! Think about it."

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's not make-up – it's face paint!" Kankuro insisted stubbornly.

"Listen," Temari reasoned, "no girl is going to want to dance with you if you look like that."

Kankuro pretended to be hurt. "Maybe _you_ don't like it, Temari, but some girls think they make me look mysterious!" He wiggled his eyebrows dramatically.

Temari closed her eyes. "They make you look like some sort of freaky, evil underground cat-clown."

Kankuro stroked his chin and said thoughtfully, "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

Temari groaned in frustration. "Brothers!"

Gaara glanced up quizzically from the couch.

"Yes, you!" Temari pointed a finger at her youngest brother. "Don't think I've forgotten about you. We have to do something about that hair."

Gaara's eyes flickered up to his red mop. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"It's so…" Temari searched for the right word. "It's so…_messy_!" She snatched a brush from a nearby dresser and approached him slowly.

Gaara stared wide-eyed at his sister, and readied himself to flee at a moment's notice. As she came closer, he held his hands up in front of his face.

"Hang on, Temari – stop right there. Let's think about this for a moment, shall we?"

But Temari kept coming. "Oh, come on, Gaara, don't be such a wimp. It's just a hairbrush!"

Gaara was not in the mood to reason with his sister. The way she wielded that brush reminded him of how she carried her fan just before a battle. "Temari, stop! Put the brush down."

But it was too late. In one swift motion, Temari lunged at Gaara and pinned him down onto the couch. She wrapped one arm around her squirming brother and brought the other, with the brush, down firmly onto his head.

Gaara yelped as Temari raked the brush through his copper-colored hair with a vengeance. Temari panted as she fought to hold down the struggling sand ninja. "This is…for your own good…Gaara!" she gasped.

Kankuro heard the commotion and came running out of bathroom. "What the –? Oh my gosh, she's killing Gaara!"

Realizing that Kankuro was about to be heroic and make a rescue attempt, Temari turned her attention to her other sibling. "Don't be ridiculous, Kankuro! And don't even think about jumping in here, or your next! I'm just trying to make him a little more presentable, that's all."

"Ohhhhh…" Kankuro's eyes were wide, and he winced in sympathy as Gaara let out another groan of pain.

"Sorry," Temari muttered, "that knot was really big."

"This…really isn't…necessary," Gaara whimpered, but he was getting tired of fighting back. Gradually, his resistance diminished, until finally he just sat quietly, resigned to his fate.

At last, the brush ceased to dig into his scalp. "There. We're done," Temari sighed, and stepped back to admire her handiwork. Gaara sat sullenly, arms crossed, not too happy about being humiliated in such way. If Temari had tried that not too long ago, he'd hate to think what might've happened; she might not have lived to tell the tale. But now he had vowed never to use his sand to hurt his siblings, no matter what. Even in situations such as the one previous. However, Gaara had to admit that he had been forced to exercise extreme self-control…

Kankuro tilted his head and scratched his chin as he looked down at the scowling Gaara. "It doesn't look much different," he said bluntly.

Temari closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "Not helping, Kankuro." Then she turned to Gaara, who was looking fearfully at the brush in case she decided to go for round two. "It's okay, Gaara, I won't do it anymore. I guess that's as good as it's going to get. I should have known it wouldn't help much." She fingered her own wild hair and smiled. "We all sort of have the same problem, don't we? Well, never mind; it doesn't matter. Sorry that I hurt you! I won't do it again, I promise."

Gaara's pale eyes shifted slowly to look at his sister. "It's okay. I'm not angry anymore. Just don't get within five feet of me with a brush and I'll be fine."

Temari laughed. "Deal!"

Kankuro adjusted his cat-eared hat and said smugly, "Lucky for me I never have to brush my hair."

Temari stood and punched him playfully in the shoulder. "Yeah, don't push it, buddy. That's because if you didn't wear it, you'd terrify everyone within visual range of you."

Suddenly, the clock on the wall caught the blond kunoichi's attention.

"Oh my goodness! Is it that time already? We have to go, guys."

In no time the Sand Siblings were ready to leave and were out the door before you can say "Spring Festival." As they stepped outside, Kankuro winked at his teammates. "C'mon, guys, let's go show 'em how to throw a festival – Sand Village style!"


	4. At the Festival

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I am **_**so**_** sorry that I've taken so long to update! I know it probably seems like I vanished off the face of the planet or something. I mean, I haven't updated this story since summer! Well, hopefully I can make up for that now... and hopefully there will still be people who want to read it! So, here goes...**

* * *

The spring festival was probably the most colorful and lavish event in the village of Konoha. Everyone had been preparing for it for days in advance, and now the big night was finally here. Glowing paper lanterns of various hues were strung like beads around the perimeter of the large open town square where the majority of the festival would be held. Decorations of all kinds adorned the surrounding buildings and bits of multicolored paper fluttered from where they were tied to the surrounding blossoming trees.

Many of the villagers running the event were already there and had set up the food tables. Joyful music floated merrily through the fresh evening air as the guests began to arrive. One by one or in pairs, the cheerful people of the Leaf Village drifted into the radiant pool of warmth cast by the lights of the festival.

"Wow," Sakura whispered as she approached the site of the Spring Festival, "it's even more beautiful than last year!"

"Yep. Sure is," Naruto agreed. The hyperactive blonde looked around with wide eyes. Naruto was Sakura's friend and teammate – but tonight he also happened to be her date to the dance. Sakura smiled and sighed. _I didn't want to be rude and say no when he asked me..._ she thought. _And I didn't really have a date. Especially since Sasuke's not here..._ Sakura pushed that thought from her mind. _But what am I worried about? This is going to be fun, right?_

Suddenly Naruto's large blue eyes spotted the refreshments table. "Yes!" he cried, grabbing Sakura by the arm. "They've got _food_! C'mon, Sakura, let's go!"

"What? Oh, uh, all right." Sakura allowed herself to be dragged over to the long snack table, which was heaped high with food of all kinds. Iruka and Chouji were in charge of the snack table, handing out morsels to guests and manning the barbecue. Chouji was in heaven. The ever-hungry boy could hardly contain himself; when Iruka looked the other way, Chouji snatched up bits of food and shoved them into his mouth. He couldn't stop himself from helping himself to the simmering meat on the barbecue, devouring the chunks of beef and pork almost as soon as they were done cooking.

Just as Naruto and Sakura approached, Iruka turned and caught Chouji stuffing a particularly juicy piece of chicken into his mouth. Chouji swallowed and grinned guiltily.

"Chouji!" Iruka scolded. "What have I told you about eating the refreshments? If you scarf them all down, there won't be anything left for the guests to eat!"

Chouji stared longingly at a fat white dumpling and sighed. "I'm sorry, Iruka Sensei. I just get so hungry, you know?"

"Yeah, but you just gotta wait a little bit longer 'till the guests have had a chance to taste everything before you dig in, okay?"

Sakura smiled at the two of them. _Chouji probably volunteered to work at the snack table himself._

Naruto was getting impatient. He bounced up and down, waiting until Iruka was finished speaking.

"Ah, yes, Naruto! How can we help you?"

"All right, finally! Gimme anything ya got!" Naruto exclaimed, looking around hungrily at the food. Iruka handed Naruto portions of several different dishes, and pretty soon the knucklehead ninja was happily wolfing it all down. Sakura wrinkled her nose in revulsion as Naruto crammed as many dumplings as he could into his mouth. In a matter of seconds he had finished up his first helping. Naruto sighed happily and let loose a tremendous, earth-shattering belch. Sakura was horrified.

"Oh, Naruto! That's disgusting! Cover your mouth next time – or at least warn me so I can go into my bomb shelter!"

Naruto patted his stomach and grinned. "You guys got any ramen?"

Meanwhile, at the other end of the festival square, the Sand Siblings had just arrived.

"Geez, Temari," Kankuro was saying, "Will you give me a break? I already told you that I didn't mean to step in that giant mud puddle. I mean c'mon, you think I wanted to get my shoes soaking wet?"

Temari shook her head and muttered, "That wasn't a mud puddle; that was a swamp. And they were new shoes, too."

"I think all the smart genes got used up on Temari," Gaara remarked dryly.

"Hey! What?!"

Temari snorted and grinned at Kankuro. Defensively, Kankuro turned to his younger brother. "Oh yeah? Well, what about you?"

Gaara didn't even blink. "I got the second batch."

Pretty soon, the dance began to get underway. The music in the air called invitingly to the festival guests, beckoning with its catchy melody and pulsing rhythm. It wasn't long before Temari pulled Kankuro out onto the dance floor. The puppet master only half-heartedly protested, and Gaara could see that he really wanted to dance anyway. Standing on the sidelines, the quiet redhead watched his two siblings take charge of the music. Temari must not have been joking when she'd said they'd used to win dance contests together – they were actually quite good. Temari laughed as Kankuro swung her around and then lifted her into the air. With a mischievous grin, Kankuro held his sister by the waist and propelled her through a complete flip. It was obvious that the two of them were having a great time; they even received several cheers from the other dancers.

_I could never do that,_ Gaara thought. _Even with the "dance lessons" Temari and Kankuro gave me, I don't think I could get out there in front of all those people._ Gaara was content just to stand and watch. He decided that he would enjoy the festival from a distance.

While taking a break between songs, Temari came up to him, her face flushed and beaming. "Gaara," she panted. "Do you want to come and dance? I can kick Kankuro out for a while so you can have a turn."

Gaara shook his head. "No thanks, Temari. I don't really want to... I'll just stay here."

Temari looked disappointed. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Thanks anyway."

"Well... all right." With that, his sister turned and ran back to where Kankuro was waiting for the next song to begin.

* * *

Sakura was not having a good time. For one thing, Naruto seemed more interested in stuffing his face than dancing. Since he hadn't seemed too crazy about leaving the snack table any time soon, she had wandered off by herself. Sakura sighed and fiddled with the hem of her dress. _It just isn't the same without Sasuke here. I'm trying not to think about it, but it's hard. If Sasuke was with me, he would..._ Sakura shook her head sadly. _Oh, who am I kidding? Even if Sasuke were here, he probably wouldn't want to dance with me either. In fact, he'd most likely just ignore me..._

"Hey, Sakura!" A cheerful voice suddenly interrupted Sakura's reverie. She looked up to see her friend Tenten walking toward her. The smiling brunette was walking arm in arm with Rock Lee.

"Oh, hi Tenten! Hi Lee," Sakura tried her best to look happy. "How are you guys?"

"Great," Tenten said. "Lee and I just got here, so we're a little late. But the Festival sure looks fun this year doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it's wonderful..."

"Who did you come with, Sakura?" Lee asked. Sakura gestured over to the food table.

"Naruto asked me, so I said yes. Right now he's found something better to do, though."

Tenten's brown eyes looked concerned. "I'm sorry, Sakura. Are you over here all by yourself?"

"Oh, it's fine! Really!" Sakura shook her head and shrugged. "It doesn't matter that much. I'll just wait till he's done, I guess."

"That is not very polite of him," Lee remarked. "I would offer to dance with you, Sakura, but Tenten and I were just about to go ourselves."

"You two go ahead," Sakura said. "Don't let me stop you – go have some fun!"

Tenten raised an eyebrow. "You want me to go speak to Naruto for you, Sakura?" She pretended to smack her fist into her hand. "I'll talk some sense into him!"

Sakura smiled. "No, that's okay. You two go on, really!"

"Have you thought about asking one of the other boys to dance?" Tenten asked seriously.

"Like who?"

"Well..." Tenten scanned the festival. Kiba was talking with Hinata, Shikamaru looked as though he was trying to lose Ino, and Chouji was still occupied at the snack bar. "Well, there's Shino."

Sakura glanced over to where the mysterious boy was standing off to one side, his dark glasses hiding his eyes. He wore a masked expression and stood with his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets. "Uh... I don't think Shino really wants to dance."

Tenten looked at Lee. "Well, I would suggest Neji. But he hates dances."

"I am uncertain if he is even here tonight," Lee added.

"Well, thanks anyway," Sakura sighed.

Suddenly, Tenten's face brightened. "Hey! Wait a second!"

"What? What is it?" Sakura tried to see where Tenten was looking.

Tenten pointed. "What about that boy over there? Look, Gaara's standing all by himself, just like you."

It was true. Sakura noticed that Gaara didn't look like he was having that great of a time, either. He was standing alone at a distance from the dance floor. His arms were crossed over his chest as he watched the rest of the festival silently.

"Oh, I don't know, Tenten." Sakura protested. "Even if I asked him, who says Gaara would want to dance with me anyway? What if he _wants_ to stand over there by himself?"

"Well, it's up to you, of course. But if I were you, I wouldn't want to stand around waiting for Naruto all night. Besides, what can it hurt? If he says no you'll just be back where you started."

Sakura hated to admit it, but Tenten had a point.

"Gaara is actually very nice once you get to know him," Lee grinned. "I know he seems scary, but he is not anymore. He may not show it, but I think he is lonely."

Sakura didn't say anything. She glanced over at Gaara again and then back at Tenten and Lee. A new song started up, an upbeat one with a fast-paced beat.

"Well, think about it, Sakura." Tenten smiled at her. "Who knows, you might have fun!"

Sakura nodded and waved as Tenten took Lee by the hand and led him out onto the dance floor. She couldn't help but smile slightly as she watched them. _I never really thought about it before, but Lee and Tenten are pretty cute together. I'm glad their enjoying themselves._ As she stood there thinking, Sakura considered what Tenten had said. _Well, maybe I... Maybe it _is_ time for me to step out of my shell a little. And who knows? Maybe I'll help Gaara break out of his._


	5. The Bet

Although watching the dance had been interesting at first, Gaara was becoming increasingly bored. With nothing to do except stand there, he was beginning to wish that Temari and Kankuro would stop dancing so that he could at least have someone to talk to. As he started to space out, Gaara let his eyes wander around the festival, not really paying attention to what was going on.

Suddenly Gaara froze. _Oh no. _Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone approaching him. Someone he'd been trying to avoid all evening. But it seemed as if his luck had just run out.

Yes, there was no doubt in his mind now that she was moving straight towards him. Quickly, Gaara's eyes snapped forward, and he pretended to be busy studying the character for "peace" that was painted on one of the festival banners.

A high-pitched giggle sounded from beside his right shoulder. Gaara felt a shiver tingle down his spine. Slowly, painfully, he turned to look at his sudden visitor. Ino Yamanaka was staring at him with her penetrating blue eyes, a flirtatious smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Hey there, Gaara!" she chirped.

"Uh, hello Ino."

Ino batted her eyes and tossed her long golden hair over her shoulder. "Why are you over here by yourself? Don't you have anyone to dance with?"

Gaara searched as discreetly as possible for an escape route as he answered. "Well, my sister offered, but I respectfully declined."

"Oh, but it's so much fun!" Ino moved a little closer. "This _is_ the annual Spring Festival after all... I bet you don't have that where you come from, do you?"

Gaara shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, no, not really."

"Then you absolutely _must_ give the dance a try! You know, it's funny. Here you have no one to dance with, and neither do I."

_Oh joy._ "And why would that be?" Gaara asked.

Ino cast an irritated glance over her shoulder. "Oh, because Shikamaru is being a stick in the mud and didn't want to dance with me –"

_I wonder why?_ Gaara thought.

"– Even though we came together," Ino continued. "So you see – it's perfect!"

"What is?"

"That neither one of us has a dance partner!" By now Ino was definitely intruding in Gaara's personal space bubble. "So what do you say, Gaara?" she said sweetly. "Want to dance with me?"

Gaara shuddered at the thought. "I, uh... well you see, I..." he stammered, at a loss for words. Desperately he searched for a way out – any way out. _Where are Kankuro and Temari?_ He thought as he looked around wildly. Gaara was convinced he faced certain doom when a voice suddenly broke in, saving him from his awkward response.

"Excuse me, Ino, but I believe that is _my_ dance partner you are talking to." Ino and Gaara both looked up quickly to see Sakura standing there with her hands on her hips.

"What?" Ino shot Sakura a glare of extreme annoyance. Gaara was equally confused.

"You heard me," Sakura said firmly. "Gaara promised me that he would give me this next dance. Isn't that right, Gaara?"

Gaara gaped at her blankly. She gave him a swift wink and grinned. Suddenly Gaara cleared his throat and turned to Ino. "Um, yes. I'm afraid that's right, Ino. So sorry, but I cannot dance with you at this present time."

Ino's face was venomous and her eyes glinted like daggers. Sakura slipped gracefully between Ino and Gaara. "Sorry, Ino. I guess you'll just have to catch Gaara later."

With an infuriated squeak, Ino whirled around and stormed off in the opposite direction. Suppressing a laugh, Sakura led Gaara toward the dance floor by the arm. Though not too happy at the realization that he would have to dance now, Gaara was grateful to Sakura for her timely intervention. "Why did you do that?" he asked curiously.

"Well," Sakura answered, "I know how Ino can be sometimes, and I figured you might need some help."

"You were right." Gaara glanced back at the sulking Ino. "Thank you. You saved me."

Sakura laughed. "Yes, well, Ino can be a bit scary at times." As they took their places for the next dance, Sakura placed her hand on Gaara's shoulder. Swallowing nervously, Gaara racked his brain to remember what Temari had told him to do when partner dancing.

_What am I supposed to do again? Oh, um... I think I take her other hand like this._ Gaara hesitantly took Sakura's left hand with his right. He was pleased to note that Sakura, unlike Temari, was not a head taller than him. _Hopefully that'll make things easier..._

"Uh, Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"I should warn you in advance; I'm not a very good dancer. In fact, I'm new at this."

Sakura smiled. "Oh, that's okay! I'm sure you'll do better than Naruto usually does."

Gaara wasn't convinced. "I've only danced once before with Temari and it was practically a disaster. I stepped all over her toes."

This news only made Sakura smile even more. "Just do your best. Everyone makes mistakes."

Just then the music started up. Gaara was terrified as he remembered that _he_ was supposed to lead. Warily, he stepped out with one foot, and then the other. He was very relieved that this was a slow song. Sakura followed his movements remarkably well, and by watching his feet very carefully, Gaara made sure to avoid her toes at all costs.

For the moment, things seemed to be going quite well. Then Gaara realized that he was staring intently at his feet and had not once looked up. _Oh, great._ He remembered what Temari had told him about looking at the other person instead of the floor and wondered if he dare try it. He decided to risk it. Slowly and carefully, Gaara brought his gaze up from the floor and looked Sakura in the eyes.

"You're doing well, Gaara!" she said.

Then he decided to make an attempt at a smile, as his big sister had instructed. Cautiously, Gaara tried it. To his surprise, there were no screams of terror or gasps of alarm from Sakura. She actually smiled back.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile before," she remarked. Her eyes widened. "Oh, I'm sorry! That was a rude thing to say."

"Not really. It's true."

"Well, what I meant to say was that it's nice. You should smile more often."

* * *

Temari and Kankuro stood just beyond the sidelines, sipping the drinks they had purchased at the snack bar. Kankuro slurped up a pomegranate slushie while Temari finished her ice tea. "Where'd Gaara go?" she asked her brother. "I could've sworn he was here a moment ago."

Kankuro scanned the crowd and stopped dead. His eyes grew very wide and the straw he was drinking from fell to the ground. "No way," he gasped.

"What? Do you see him?"

Kankuro nodded slowly. In a daze, he pointed at the dancers. "Look. Right over there."

Temari followed where Kankuro was indicating and her jaw dropped. "Gaara? Dancing? Well, I never would have believed it!"

"I still don't," Kankuro said. "He's dancing with Sakura, for crying out loud! How'd that happen?"

Temari cast a withering look at her brother. "Maybe she asked him, genius."

"Yeah, but, but –" Kankuro spluttered. "How come _Gaara_ already got a girl to dance with him and nobody's asked _me_?!"

Temari sighed and patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Well, Kankuro, I told you not to wear your – _ahem_ – 'face paint' and cat-hat to the festival, but you didn't listen..."

"That has nothing to do with it!" Kankuro exploded.

"Oh really?" Temari raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "All right then, buddy. Let's make a wager. I bet that you won't be able to get a girl – besides me – to dance with you tonight."

Kankuro stuck out his hand. "You're on! If I win, then you have to wear my face paint for an entire week!"

"And if _I _win, then you have to go without your face paint – and hat – for a week." Temari shook his hand and grinned smugly. "Now this'll be interesting."

"Oh, _puh-leez_ – don't kid yourself, woman! This is gonna be a piece of cake and you know it."

"Uh huh."

"Just watch me!"

* * *

**A/N: Dun, dun, dun... (Insert dramatic music here). Will Kankuro win the bet? Will anyone ever want to dance with him? Will Naruto ever stop eating? All these questions and more will be answered in the next installment of: **_**A Konoha Spring Catastrophe?**_


End file.
